The Encounter
Kristy Stott, Theatre EditorThis month Complicité will be making their show The Encounter, recorded from the Barbican in London, available to watch on their website and on their YouTube channel. This extraordinary production wowed on HOME Manchester‘s stage in 2016 – and although we can’t wait until we’re back in the audience at HOME – we’re thrilled that we get another chance to experience this show online. Just don’t forget your headphones.
This stunning binaural production by Complicité is inspired by Petru Popescu’s novel, Amazon Beaming. By combining 3D audio technology with dynamic storytelling, The Encounter is an intense and intimate show which weaves its way into your mind, becoming as much about the storytelling as the narrative itself.
In 1969, photographer Loren McIntyre was dropped into a remote part of the Brazilian rainforest to make contact with the Mayoruna people for a feature he was working on for the National Geographic. Tracing McIntyre’s steps into the dense Amazon rainforest, solo performer Simon McBurney retells this powerful story.
McBurney’s rich and complex storytelling draws us close as he creates the Amazonian soundscape from everyday objects and familiar vocal sounds. It’s a totally immersive and remarkable piece of theatre – the sounds of the jungle take over your mind and the intensity is immense, like a mosquito buzzing close to your ear.
The Encounter is a richly layered exploration of the importance of stories, the fascination with different cultures and the influence of time and technology upon our lives. Recommended.